


Seal of Approval

by copyrightings



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Meeting the Parents, except the parents are izumi and koji, very very dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29367996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copyrightings/pseuds/copyrightings
Summary: Kageyama's faced many challenges in his life. The Olympics. Spring Nationals. Managing to get Hinata to date him.But all of those pale in comparison to the feat of attempting to get Hinata's childhood friends to approve of their relationship.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 21
Kudos: 177





	Seal of Approval

**Author's Note:**

> anyways go stream the kagehina kinkuni beach vball match I love them so much 
> 
> this is stupid. enjoy anyways! :)

“Do you think it’s too much?”

“No, you look good!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! I promise you look amazing.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Well what are you going to do? It’s not like you can go back and change now, Yama-Yama-kun.”

Tobio frowns at the insinuation, especially considering Shouyou’s being so _relaxed_ about this whole thing. Shouldn’t he be freaking out too? This could quite possibly be the biggest night of their lives and yet Shouyou has that incandescent smile like nothing’s wrong when, in fact, everything is wrong.

When Tobio was 19, he faced off against internationally ranked volleyball players as the youngest member of Japan’s Olympics team in Rio. He stared them down with determined, tenacious eyes and pulled off jump serves they could only _dream_ of. There wasn’t a single thought of doubt in his mind then, even if his failure meant the end of his professional volleyball career.

Now though, his hands are sweaty despite how many times he wipes them on his slacks. Yeah, _slacks._ Tobio’s wearing fucking slacks for this function so it better go fucking well.

He lets out a shaky breath. Facing off against volleyball players was one thing. In those instances, he usually had five other people to support him through the dangerous process. Facing off against some of Shouyou’s favorite people as a couple for the first time? Yeah, that shit was _terrifying._

“Should I have brought a soccer ball?” Tobio asks with all seriousness.

So far, all Tobio knows about Shouyou’s childhood friends is that they adore Shouyou to absolutely no end and one of them used to play soccer. Other than that, Tobio’s completely lost. He knows he played against them in middle school, but the only thing Tobio can actually remember from that game is Shouyou (call him completely and hopelessly in love or whatever. That game was a pivotal moment in tiny Tobio’s little brain. He fell in love there and pretty much everything else faded from the background).

Shouyou giggles at the suggestion. “Koji doesn’t even play soccer anymore,” he assures, looping his arm through Tobio’s. “Maybe we should have brought wine or something though… Isn’t that what real couples do whenever they’re invited to dinner?”

“I don’t know, dumbass!” Tobio yells back, panic overtaking his voice. “Why didn’t you think about that sooner?”

“I forgot about it until now!” Shouyou argues, scrunching his nose. “I’m not the one who’s been invited to fancy galas or anything! I was in Brazil for two years, our version of fancy was wearing close-toed shoes!”

Tobio’s about to shout something back when the front door opens. They both pause in their accusatory stances, before quickly retreating back to looking like the loving couple that they are.

Izumi—that is Izumi, right? With the freckles and the ashy brown hair? Tobio looks over to Shouyou for confirmation but he doesn’t provide any relief. Asshole.—blinks a few times, registering them at the door before breaking out into a warm smile.

“Shouyou!” He says, giving a slightly worried look to Tobio before giving Shouyou his genuine grin.

“Izumi!” Shouyou cheers, unraveling himself from Tobio to give Izumi a big hug. He pulls back quickly though, retaking his place beside Tobio and pushing him forward. “You remember Tobio, right?”

Tobio manages his best smile (a feat he’s worked on for _years_ but still can’t manage to get right) and puts out his hand. “Hello, Yukitaka-san,” he says, trying his best to not sound robotic but failing miserably.

Izumi’s eyes go big. “Oh wow, that’s way too formal,” he chuckles, shaking Tobio’s hand. “Seriously, Izumi is fine, Kageyama-kun.”

Tobio nods. He doesn’t understand baseball like… at all… but he does think that’s what some may consider his first strike. First down? Whatever, Tobio understands volleyball.

“Come in, come in,” Izumi insists, leading them into his apartment.

The space is… cozy. It’s more on the traditional side with sliding doors and tatami floors, but Tobio sort of likes the vibe. It’s certainly a lot warmer and homey than the cold, empty apartment he has waiting for him back in Tokyo. Luckily, Tobio’s been staying with Shouyou in Osaka most days though. While Tokyo may be his real ‘home’, it was just an empty city without the person that actually managed to make a place feel like a home.

Izumi leads them into a side room that has a dining room table in front of a small kitchen. Koji stands at the stove, stirring a wooden spoon around in a big pot. He doesn’t notice their presence until Shouyou’s bounding his way and hugs him from behind.

“Koji!” He squeals.

Koji allows the hug to happen for precisely three seconds before he wriggles out and turns to face the rest of the group. He’s wearing an apron that reads _Kiss the Cook._ Tobio would rather not.

Koji reluctantly gives Tobio a once-over before holding out his hand. “Nice to properly meet you, Kageyama-kun.”

“Good to meet you too,” Tobio says, accepting the handshake. Koji squeezes a little more than necessary, still observing him before turning back to the cooking.

“It’ll all be done in a few minutes,” Koji states.

Izumi nods. “Great! Kageyama-kun, would you like to help me set the table?”

Tobio looks over to Shouyou who gives him a nod like, _yes, you should help out,_ before Shouyou goes off to strike up a conversation with Koji.

“Uh, yeah,” Tobio says, following Izumi to the table.

Izumi hands him a few place mats while he retrieves silverware for each place setting. They make quiet work, until Izumi decides to ask, “So you and Shouyou, huh?”

“Um… yeah,” Tobio responds. How the fuck is someone supposed to answer that? Does he expect Tobio to just say, _No we're not dating_? Seriously. Tobio may combust from the awkward tension alone.

“He’s told us a lot about you,” Izumi mentions as he grabs some glasses for the table.

Tobio side-eyes him. “All good things I hope?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Tobio’s going to lose his goddamn mind.

He looks over at the kitchen where Shouyou and Koji are engaged in some story that has them both laughing. Shouyou really does look comfortable with his childhood friends; Tobio can practically feel their bond. It’s all good memories and reminiscing, something Tobio can’t exactly relate to.

“Okay, okay, it’s all done,” Koji calls, bringing a pot filled with a sweet-smelling curry while Shouyou follows with rice. They place the dishes onto the table and add more plates with different meats and vegetables. It’s a full ass feast and Tobio cannot wait to indulge.

They all settle around the table, Tobio sliding next to Shouyou. He gives him a reassuring smile, but Tobio’s pretty sure he’s about to die. Fuck the Olympics. _This_ is the biggest challenge in Tobio’s life.

They say thanks and begin to serve themselves. Tobio makes sure to give Shouyou an extra serving of meat from the side of the table he can’t reach. In turn, Shouyou loads rice onto his plate. Perfect boyfriend, really.

“So, you’re a volleyball player?” Izumi asks.

Tobio bites down the urge to respond, _of course I’m a fucking volleyball player, dumbass. It’s how I met your friend in the first place. We literally went up against each other in middle school or is your brain too small to remember that crucial fact?_

“Yeah, I’m the starting setter for the Adlers,” Tobio answers, taking a bite.

“What did you rank last year?” Koji asks.

_This guy…_

Tobio clenches his jaw. “The Adlers ended up in 3rd last season, but individually I’m currently held as the top server and top setter in Japan.”

“Black Jackals are 2nd,” Shouyou adds in giddily. Tobio rolls his eyes.

“Shouyou, I thought that setter on your team was the top server?” Izumi questions.

“Nope!” Shouyou responds, popping the _p._ “As good as Tsumu-san is, Tobio’s actually better! Don’t worry, I’m a much better receiver than both of them though.”

 _Take that, Miya,_ Tobio provokes in his mind _._ The guy was probably off sneezing somewhere. Good.

“You weren’t a good receiver when we first started out though,” Tobio comments. “How many times did you dig the ball with your face?”

“Enough to lose the brain cells necessary to think it was a good idea to date you.”

Tobio chuckles at that, before gauging how Izumi and Koji took the comment. They just look so… baffled by their every interaction. Like they were a pair of aliens speaking a language all their own.

In a way, Tobio guesses that mindset isn’t wrong. This is how him and Shouyou communicate. Insults and snide remarks were never malicious or true; they were simply unique forms of encouragement to improve the other.

Both of them were often at a loss with usual words. They talked best with a volleyball passing between them, parrying off of each other’s energies. They always managed to work through all of their problems when they were on the same side of the net. Even as rivals, they could push each other forward and bring out the best.

Maybe they should have played volleyball with Izumi and Koji. That way, Tobio could definitively show them how much he loved Shouyou. It worked to prove their relationship to Kunimi and Kindaichi; although Tobio supposed he wasn’t seeking their approval rather he wanted them to all get along…

Regardless, Tobio knew that _this,_ wearing slacks and acting like a watered-down version of himself, was not going to prove his worth. He needed to take drastic measures.

“How did…” Tobio clears his throat and tries his best to hype himself up, “How did the three of you become friends?”

“Oh!” Shouyou exclaims. “When we were back in… what, our fourth year of elementary?”

“Third,” Koji corrects.

“Right! Yeah, so in our third year, we got paired up for this project where we had to act out this little samurai play thingy, and we became really good friends!” Shouyou’s practically beaming. Tobio wants to kiss him _so badly_ but he holds back.

Shouyou’s not nearly done. “We hung out a lot in middle school too, and even though we were on different teams, they always tossed the ball for me! Well… not _always,_ but enough that I got good practice sometimes. And then they were such a big help since they joined for that one tournament, but then _someone_ decided it would be a good idea to knock us out in the first round.” He sends Tobio a brief pointed look before breaking out into a smile.

Tobio idly thinks about how he should really thank Koji and Izumi. After all, if they hadn’t joined then Shouyou wouldn’t have been able to play in the tournament they wouldn’t have faced off. They might have met at Karasuno later on, but it was that day when Tobio had a new spark ignited in him. Really, his whole life changed the moment he locked eyes with that fierce, ginger boy in a pale green uniform.

Tobio doesn’t say that though. Instead, he says, “They didn’t help much considering you still sucked at that tournament.”

Shouyou pouts. “Whatever, Bakayama. I think you’re just jealous I _had_ friends in middle school.”

“I had friends!”

“Kunimi and Kindaichi don’t count.”

“Sure they do!”

“Nope! You didn’t really become friends until high school! Even then, I had to help you guys reconnect.”

“Whatever.”

Tobio looks back at Koji and Izumi. _Fuck,_ he’s losing them again. He should really be better about making first impressions, but he just can’t help it when he’s around Shouyou. It’s like all the love inside of him wells up and erupts in the form of insults and taunts. Blame it on a years-old rivalry and a stupid amount of love.

“So…” Izumi tries, giving a weary look to Koji before he says, “Shouyou says you’re going to Italy to play in their league. That’s exciting! Have you learned any Italian yet?”

“No,” Tobio answers flatly because he hasn’t. Okay, _yes,_ his English might be atrocious but he’ll be fine, right? Who even needs Italian in Italy.

“Are you guys staying together?” Koji asks bluntly.

“Seki!” Izumi interrupts before Tobio has the decency to create an answer.

“What?” Koji argues back. He waves towards them as a frown settles on his lips. “I mean, they broke up when Sho went off to Brazil. Why would this be any different?”

Tobio finds himself standing. He doesn’t know when he moved or even _why,_ but suddenly he’s standing over the rest of the table.

“Tobio?” Shouyou questions, eyes going big.

Tobio sets his jaw, and looks over at his friends. Izumi looks positively petrified, while Koji has his arms crossed with argumentative eyes. So much for making a good impression.

“It will be different this time because I love Shouyou,” Tobio declares, though his voice feels unsteady. Even if his feelings are certain, that doesn’t always mean he can _actually_ verbalize it.

“So you didn’t love him before Brazil?” Koji cuts back.

“Oh my god…” Izumi whispers, putting his elbows on the table and his head in his hands.

“Of course I loved him before that,” Tobio argues. “I’ve loved him for years and a few thousand miles doesn’t change shit. I’ll love him for years to come too, if it’s worth anything.”

Koji’s brows form a thick line. “We’ve known Shouyou for years. We’re just looking out for him and we don't want him to get hurt.”

“We just want what’s best…” Izumi adds sheepishly.

“I’m what’s best!” Tobio shouts, his voice rising. He steps away from the table and begins to head towards the door.

“Tobio!” Shouyou growls, similarly standing up. “What the _hell_ are you doing?”

“Leaving!” He turns back to find the shocked faces of the dinner party staring back at him. “I don’t care if we get their seal of approval or not! We have each other, isn’t that all that matters?”

“What seal of approval?” Shouyou argues back.

Wait.

_What._

“You mean… we didn’t come here to get their seal of approval?”

“What?” Shouyou screeches. “No, of course not! We came here because I wanted my favorite person in the world to meet some of my other favorite people!”

“Oh.”

_Oh._

Tobio may just die of embarrassment. Poor Shouyou would have to drag his body out of Izumi’s apartment and bury him in a graveyard far from anyone else because Tobio didn’t deserve to have visitors after fucking up _this_ badly. His epigraph would read, _Kageyama Tobio. Beloved volleyball player. Died of embarrassment and being too in love with his boyfriend. 1996-2019._

“Why would we need approval from anyone?” Shouyou asks. He desperately seeks out Izumi and Koji’s guidance, but they look similarly lost.

“I don’t know!” Tobio screams back. “You care about them a lot and I wanted to make a good impression!”

“And you have…?” Izumi cuts in, his calm voice washing over the dining room. “For the most part, at least. Kageyama-kun, you don’t need our seal of approval because you already have it.”

“I…” Wide-eyed, Tobio looks at Izumi, then to Koji who nods, and then to Shouyou who seems similarly surprised by the statement. “What?”

Izumi shakes his head. “Shouyou’s a smart guy. He’s never dated someone for a bad reason, and we figured it was the same with you. Sure it was… a _surprise_ —”

“Huge surprise,” Koji blurts.

Izumi gives him a glare. Koji mouths _huge_ and motions how big it was with his hands.

Izumi sighs and continues, “But that doesn’t mean we ever disapproved of your relationship.”

“But you saw how I was back then,” Tobio inserts, the unfortunate memory of his cruel behavior still fresh in his mind. “I thought you guys didn’t like me.”

“Well I don’t necessarily like that you’re causing a scene, but that’s not much different from how Shouyou usually acts.”

Koji shrugs. “Besides, we were all shitty people back then. It’s also been, like, a decade. I’d be even more surprised if you were the same, but you’re really not.” Koji tilts his head, before adding, “And you’re an Olympic athlete. How could we say no to that?”

Tobio pads back to the table and timidly retakes his seat. Shouyou sits down as well, finding Tobio’s leg under the table. They kick back and forth in a lazy, comforting game of footsie.

“So you really think we’re okay together?” Tobio asks quietly.

Koji and Izumi both nod in return.

“Plus, if you heard the way Shouyou talked about you, then you’d approve of the relationship too,” Izumi interjects.

Shouyou abruptly stands again. “Izumi!”

“You can’t get upset when it’s true,” Koji says, rolling his eyes and waving for Shouyou to sit. He obliges, blush rising quick and heavy up his neck.

“Seriously, Shouyou. You called us for _two hours_ when you first got together,” Izumi sighs, although it’s more amused than spiteful.

“Kageyama is just _so_ hot,” Koji mocks, raising his voice to form a surprisingly accurate replica of Shouyou’s cadence. “I just wanna kiss his dumb face. He’s the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.” Koji wipes off his impression and comes to meet Tobio’s eyes with a mischievous grin. “The guy’s stupid in love with you.”

“I hate you,” Shouyou whines, burying his face into his hands.

“D-dumbass,” Tobio scoffs out, feeling a similar blush come to his cheeks.

Is this _actually_ how Shouyou thinks about him? For as many promises they’ve had over the years, the truth is still somewhat shocking. Perhaps they’ve always known they were destined for the other, but the process to actually dating took much longer than Tobio expected. After all, his love for Shouyou hit him hard that very first day they met. Shouyou’s love was more of a slow burn; a laborious task to understand why they both felt like _that_ around each other.

It wasn’t until their third year of high school that those feelings came to light. Even so, their dating life was short-lived as they broke it off once Shouyou left for Brazil. They remained friends, of course, but Tobio ached for the day he could be with Shouyou once again. Volleyball was a good distraction, but ultimately it did little to soothe the yearning to play volleyball with a certain _someone._

Shouyou needed time though. To experience the world. To date other people. To confirm that boy he’d met all those years ago was in fact the person he’d be spending the rest of his life with.

Eternity for them was always guaranteed. They promised it both before they knew the gravity of the word. Tobio just never knew how that eternity would unfold. Would he be able to kiss Shouyou in the morning as sunlight drizzled in from outside their window? Or would they forever be fated rivals, only to meet on opposing sides of the net? Tobio, even though he signed up for the latter, couldn’t help but hope for the former. Oh, what he would have given to be allowed to love Shouyou unconditionally.

Luckily though, Shouyou wanted the same thing. They began their new relationship, years in the making, after that fated Adlers and Black Jackals game. And although Tobio had tasted his initial defeat by Shouyou’s hand, the kiss they shared long after the game had ended was enough to wipe away any of his fears.

“You really love him, huh?” Tobio turns to see Koji looking at them, eyebrows upturned and lips parted in an earnest smile.

“Yeah,” Tobio affirms. He reaches over to grab Shouyou’s hand. He squeezes it back. “I really, really do.”

Koji covers his face with his hand. “Goddamnit.”

“Are you crying?” Izumi asks, similarly choking up.

“No!” Koji wiped away the tear he apparently wasn’t shedding. “Fine! Yeah, you have our seal of approval or whatever. Really, we just wanted to make sure Sho was happy.”

“I am happy,” Shouyou affirms. He gives Tobio a loving look before meeting the gazes of his friends once more. “I appreciate the concern from you guys, but I really am happy! And I’ll be happy with whatever happens next too. Italy is exciting! I’ll probably come and visit sometime, and we’ll figure out the rest from there.”

Tobio nods, the words sticking like glue in his mind. He had no idea what the future held, really. All he knew was that he wanted Shouyou by his side.

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” Izumi sighs, leaning back in his chair. “And I’m glad no one broke anything so can we please just go back to eating?”

They all oblige by taking a guilty bite. The food really is good, and Tobio tells Koji so, and the conversation delves from there. They still manage to grill Tobio, but the pressure is definitely off from before. And when he and Shouyou go off on one of their famous, impassioned rants, they turn back to see Koji and Izumi observing them like they’re the protagonists of some romance movie.

The rest of the night goes off without a hitch, but Tobio isn’t able to really relax until him and Shouyou are walking home, side by side. It’s sort of reminiscent of all of those walks they had in high school, even if they’ve grown so much since those years. Regardless, the nostalgia pulls Tobio in, even as Shouyou grabs his hand.

“Ka-ge-ya-ma-kuuunnn,” Shouyou whines, rubbing his head into Tobio’s shoulder. “What are you so worried about?”

“I’ve been thinking about everything Koji said,” Tobio admits, even if it’s absolutely horrifying to admit the thoughts have been churning in his mind over the course of the night. “About us… and our future.”

Shouyou groans and stands upright to meet Tobio’s eyes even if he won’t return the contact. “What are you so worried about? We’ve always managed to figure things out. Plus, I think Koji was just being overprotective of me. He’s a nice guy, really.”

“Yeah,” Tobio agrees, “they’re both nice but they’re both right. How are we sure this whole thing is going to last?”

Shouyou stops walking at that. Tobio turns to see him silhouetted by the streetlamps, the orange in his hair a bright contrast to the rest of the endarkened world around them. Little bits of snow have started to fall, the flakes catching on his hair and eyelashes. His nose, cheeks, and ears are all a little rosy, the soft pinks juxtaposing the dark gaze he gives.

“We will last,” Shouyou says, no hesitation in his words. “You promised that you would stay with me, year after year, competition after competition, until we stood on the same stage. Did you not mean it?” “Of course I meant it,” Tobio bites back. “And I intend to.” “So what’s the issue?”

“Come to Italy with me,” Tobio blurts out before he can even process the thought.

Shouyou’s brows shoot up. “Huh?”

Tobio takes a moment to think it through, the rudimentary plan forming easily. He gives Shouyou a smile, and takes a step closer to him. “Come to Italy with me.”

“Tobio, I’m contracted with the Black Jackals for another season. I can’t—”

Tobio waves his hand. “No, not to play. To get married.”

Shouyou looks around, even more confusion creeping on his face. “Why Italy?”

“Because we can…?”

“It’s not legal there.”

“…It’s not?”

They both stare at each other for a moment before euphonious laughter breaks out. It carries over the snow-laden rooftops of the nearby shops and over the neighborhood houses. Their laughter fills up the whole night, a song all their own.

“You’re glad I don’t like you for your brain,” Shouyou giggles, closing the distance between them. He wraps his hands around Tobio’s neck, smiling big and bright.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, dumbass,” Tobio says, although the last word is cut off by the soft press of Shouyou’s lips. He grins into the kiss, using the opportunity to truly soak in the sunshine that is Hinata Shouyou. With so little time together, he’ll use every moment he has to take in the fiery presence.

Marriage might be a shock to any other couple, but it's a natural progression to them. They’ve already promised their lives to one another; a pair of rings were simply yet another affirmation.

Shouyou pulls back, and gives Tobio a look that really just makes him want to kiss him again.

“You know… we could get married in Brazil,” Shouyou suggests cheekily.

Tobio gives him a peck, unable to control his happy desires. “Sounds good to me.”

“Ooh, we could have our wedding on the beach!” Shouyou’s eyes light up as he begins to actually think it through. “We’ll invite our families and everyone from home can see how cool Brazil is too! And we can play lots of beach volleyball together! Maybe we could even have a rematch with Kunimi and Kindaichi! Or we could play against Izumi and Koji too! How does that sound?”

Tobio smiles, warmth radiating his chest. The boy he fell in love with almost a decade ago grins back at him.

“Whatever you’d like, sunshine.”

**Author's Note:**

> I had such a fun time writing this so I hope that came off lol
> 
> thanks for reading! come and follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/copyrightings_)!


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